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Minnesota doctor delivers 13 babies in 24 hours

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — It's a personal record for a St. Cloud obstetrician who has been practicing medicine for 32 years: 13 babies in 24 hours.

"They just came one after another in kind of a nonstop; I had a very, very busy night," Dr. David Kroska said. "It was kind of a blur almost — work all night, not sleeping — but I had some catnaps, maybe 15 minutes here and there to refresh myself."

There were no twins or triplets were among the 13 infants he delivered in the 24 hours at CentraCare Clinic ending Friday, Sept. 13. Kroska delivered two babies by cesarean section.

Kroska studied at the University of Minnesota Medical School and did his residency at Miami Valley Hospital, but said nothing really prepares a doctor for 13 deliveries.

"Every now and then, you get what's called a 'doubleheader,' and that's when the babies kind of come at the same time, so you have to juggle what you're doing to be there for them," Kroska told the St. Cloud Times.

Kroska summed up the birthing frenzy as "spontaneous labor." It was only later that he realized he had bested his own personal record from years ago of 10 deliveries in 24 hours.